


The Stars

by the_ghostwriter96



Series: Enemies to Lovers [3]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Bonding, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, More talking, Vlad's more angsty than Danny is, lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-25 10:20:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13832145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_ghostwriter96/pseuds/the_ghostwriter96
Summary: Danny and Vlad meet by """chance""" on a hill, and Vlad is left confused. Bonus chapter, the same thing, but from Danny's POV.





	1. Vlad's POV

Vlad was a busy man, because Amity Park was a growing town and with frequent ghost attacks, there was always work to be done. Repairs to be made, promises of reimbursement to be kept, and reassurances of better protection next time to be given (however dishonestly). And if there hadn’t been a ghost attack in so long and things were finally starting to calm down, Vlad took care of that, too; releasing a ghost of doing some damage of his own to the town was enough to get people riled up, and ready to support and fund whatever plans he had for the town.

They were so easily manipulated. So easily tricked into doing whatever he wanted from them all. A speech here and there, and they ate it up.

So on the rare occasions that he didn’t have emails to reply to, or paperwork to fill out or repairs to oversee, he liked to fly, to clear his mind. And on one of those nights where he was granted a bit of free time, he was doing exactly that. And, flying over Amity Park on that same night, was Danny Phantom, moving fast like he had somewhere to go. He didn’t even notice Vlad, who’d been gliding through the sky just a little over the boy’s head.

On an impulse, Vlad flew along behind him, at a distance enough that he wouldn’t alert the boy’s ghost sense but close enough to not lose him. There wasn’t a ghost attack, at least that Vlad knew of, so where was he off to? Hopefully not to go out drinking again. He had a bright future ahead of him, and the idea of him drowning his stress in alcohol- but Vlad was projecting his own whims, and he knew that. Teenagers drink. They smoke. They sneak out. That’s par for the course, and it didn’t mean it was anything more than that.

And, if he were honest with himself, it wasn’t really his place to worry about what Danny did in his spare time.

Still, though, he followed the young halfa across the town until he reached the outskirts and landed on a hill that overlooked the town. It was a thriving town, despite the constant damage inflicted to it. It would be more so, Vlad knew, if he didn’t contribute to that. But if he wanted to ascertain his reelecting next term, he needed the good publicity that came after every ghost attack.

He didn’t remember going intangible, but when Danny all but flopped back in the grass and looked up at the sky, and *didn’t* see him there, he realized that he had. And Danny just… laid there, with his arms above his head, staring at the sky. At the stars? Vlad lowered himself a bit, curious.

It had been nearly a month since their last encounter. Vlad, feeling generous (or so he told himself was the reason), kept to himself. He didn’t cause trouble, he didn’t release any ghosts, he just did his very human, very ordinary job as mayor and left the boy alone. During that time, his mind replayed bits and pieces of the things Danny had said to him. The things Danny had offered.

The offer of friendship. The refusal to remain enemies, regardless of what Vlad wanted. The fact that Danny believed Vlad planned to cause him lasting harm had startled him. That was the *last* thing he wanted. Their fights were petty, and ended in retreat without a real victor. Never, at any point, had Vlad used his full strength against the boy, and he had never planned on it. Their every encounter, to him, was just… an excuse to *have* an encounter with the young Phantom. If he wouldn’t be his protégé, this seemed to be the only other option.

He enjoyed some aspects of their battles, like the boy’s banter and jokes (sometimes witty, sometimes falling flat), he enjoyed the fact that Danny was steadily learning, steadily doing better with every fight. That he was slowly becoming a challenge, and that Vlad had the chance to be a part of that. It was a game, to him.

He played because without the game, Danny would be out of his life completely. The only other being like him in the world, another halfa, and Vlad couldn’t stand the thought of losing him completely.

A sentiment that, according to the boy himself, was mutual. He’d said it in his own words; “I don’t want you gone.” in the context of his dreams of Vlad’s death.

Hearing those words had blown him away. He’d gone all this time, for so many years believing that Danny hated him. That Danny would *always* hate him. That they would always be enemies. That was a constant, something he’d come to rely on as a staple of his life, and those words along with the fact that the younger halfa refused to go on as his enemy-

He wanted to be *friends*. Or at least, he *offered* to be friends. He pitched the idea as though it were something he desired from Vlad, as though it would be something reciprocated should Vlad agree to it, but that was something he couldn’t quite grasp.

Vlad, now tangible, touched his feet to the grass. Danny sat up and met his eyes, but only for a moment before laying back down. Relieved that his presence didn’t seem to be completely unwelcome, Vlad lowered himself down until he was lying beside the younger halfa.

He had done so many things to the boy. From childish, petty pranks when his anger got the better of him, to truly terrible things. He had instigated so much violence, he had caused so much trouble for him, and now he wanted to be *friends*? He wanted a *truce*? No, Vlad wouldn’t- he couldn’t believe that.

“You see the Little Dipper?” Danny asked, suddenly, raising a hand with fingers splayed to the sky. Vlad didn’t see, but Danny didn’t wait on an answer. “That’s actually a bear. The Little Bear. His mom turned into a bear and he didn’t recognize her, and almost shot her. And then he turned into a bear, too. The Big Dipper is his mom. The Great Bear.”

What was more likely was that this was a plan, a scheme to end Vlad’s schemes. To convince him to behave, to convince him to leave Danny’s family alone. Surely, that’s what it was.

“Do you like stars, Daniel?” Vlad asked, but it felt silly to ask. This moment was… different. There was no hostility from the boy, there was no disdain in his voice. He seemed completely at ease, lying there with Vlad.

“I love space.” Danny replied. “I always wanted to be an astronaut.”

“I see.” Despite the couple of years he’d spent surveying Danny’s family, and his interest in the halfa particularly, he never knew that. And now, Danny was sharing it with him freely, as though they were just friendly aquiantances. As though their history of animosity had vanished.

“But I’m too short, by an inch. You have to be 5’1”. And my grades are bad anyway.” Even without looking, Vlad could hear his frown.

“Your grades could always improve,”

“But they won’t. It’s not a big deal.”

And just like that, the moment was over and silence fell over them again. Clouds were rolling in, slowly but surely consuming the stars that Danny seemed so fond of. If he could, Vlad would blow the storm away to clear the skies.

Friends. Could they ever really be? Vlad’s mind, despite knowing Danny better than that, went straight to the things they could accomplish together. They could use their powers to gain anything they desired, together. They could rise up. Danny could follow Vlad from mayor to senator, to president, if so they chose- or they could go even *further*!

“We could rule the world, you know-“

“How’d you even know I was-“

They both stopped mid-sentence, having spoken at the same time. Danny sat up, but he didn’t look at Vlad.

“I don’t *want* to rule the world.”

“No, you just want to save it.” Vlad replied, bitterly though he’d already expected that answer. “Such a pity.”

Danny didn’t reply, and when Vlad sat up, he’d closed his eyes. The wind picked up, bringing the clouds in faster. Vlad was numb to the cold, his fire core keeping him warm despite the chill. Danny, on the other hand, must be cold, with a core of ice. Vlad moved without thinking, hovering over the ground to see his face better; it wasn’t often that he got to see Danny so calm, so serene.

Green eyes opened, meeting Vlad’s own red ones and he was lost for anything to say. He didn’t have to, it seemed, as Danny plucked a handful of grass and rained it over the older halfa’s head.

“Why are you staring at me?”

“Very mature, Daniel.” Vlad snapped, ignoring the question.

Danny laughed, and then asked, “What did you come here for, Vlad?”

“I just happened to fly by.” He was only half-lying, after all. “I have business in Elmerton, and saw you here.” Although that part was definitely a lie. It was easier to lie than it was to say, “I followed you here.”

“What kind of business?” Danny demanded with narrowed eyes.

Vlad smirked. “Perfectly ordinary, mayoral business. No schemes up my sleeve tonight, dear boy.”

“Good.” Danny replied, although he didn’t seem convinced. “You’ve been quiet for weeks, I was starting to think you were planning something.”

“Who says I’m not?” And with that, Vlad left him there, flying off into the sky.

As he flew without any real direction (he could always teleport home), he wondered if that’s what it would be like, to be friends with the boy. He hadn’t had a real friend in so long, he couldn’t remember what it felt like. Their moment on the hill, as Danny talked about the stars, and his lost aspirations to become an astronaut (which, really, was a childish aspiration to begin with, but alas)- that was a side to Danny that Vlad wanted to see more of.

His plan originally, after Danny left his house those weeks ago, had been to just not answer. To leave him and his family be, at least for the time being. But now, he wasn’t so sure that’s what he wanted to do. Later, at home, lying in bed, Vlad wrestled with his mind over what to do next. When he finally fell asleep, it was a restless one.


	2. Danny's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The same thing, but from Danny's POV.

Clouds were moving in, threatening to hide the night sky, but in the meantime Danny would stargaze. It was something he did often; flying out to a hill that overlooked the town, but one where nobody else wandered, and lying back in the grass to look at the stars. It was a much-needed breather between the school bullshit, ghosts, secrets and anxiety that painted his daily life. He lay there, zone out, toxic green eyes cast to the sky but not really seeing anything. His mind was blank, and he was at ease.

He was really turning into a night-owl. Maybe that was part of being a ghost; haunting the night. Or maybe he just needed the serenity that the blanket of night provided. Some days, he went through the entire day looking forward to when his parents finally went to bed, so that he could fly out and to his designated hill. Other days, he would fly to the top of one of the taller buildings in town, and watch the city below instead.

Danny blinked, startled at first by the breath of mist that escaped his lips, and then groaned. A ghost attack? Here? Now? He propped up on his elbows, looking around for the source- but it was Vlad Plasmius, lowering his boots into the grass with his hands clasped behind his back. Well, he didn’t look like he was there for a fight, so that was a good sign. But it had been almost a month since-

Well, since anything. Since their last conversation, since their last interaction completely. There had been no more attacks on the town, he’d left Jack and Maddie alone (and even declined to come for dinner once, when Jack called him). He’d left *Danny* alone, not putting any schemes into action that would lure him out. The teen was convinced that *that* was his answer: they would go their separate ways, and that was that. It was one of those things he tried not to think about all too much. One of the many adversities that had drawn him out to the hill, on this particular night, to clear from his mind.

He laid back down, lacing his fingers behind his head, and waited. If Vlad had something to say, he could say it. Danny had said enough, and waited long enough for a reply… But Vlad didn’t speak. At least, not right away. Instead, he lowered himself to the ground beside the boy, looking up at the same stars. Danny turned his head, glancing over at the man. In the dark, his eyes glowed red. He turned back to the stars.

After so long, he decided that Vlad wasn’t going to say anything, and he broke the silence. Danny raised a hand, reaching up toward the stars. “You see the Little Dipper?” He asked, but didn’t wait for a response. “That’s actually a bear. The Little Bear. His mom turned into a bear and he didn’t recognize her, and almost shot her. And then he turned into a bear, too. The Big Dipper is his mom. The Great Bear.” He rest his hand on his chest.

“Do you like stars, Daniel?” Vlad asked, and in his voice there was hesitance. A caution, like he wasn’t sure he was supposed to ask.

Danny smiled. “I love space. I always wanted to be an astronaut.”

“I see.”

“But I’m too short, by an inch. You have to be 5’1”.” His smile faded away. “And my grades are bad anyway.”

“Your grades could always improve,”

He didn’t roll his eyes, despite the urge to. “But they won’t. It’s not a big deal.” And it wouldn’t matter if they did. He was still too short, and he was pretty sure that when they did the physical examinations, they’d find something weird given that he was half-ghost.

As they lay there in the grass, the clouds seemed to thicken over time, slowly taking over the whole sky as a breeze picked up. Danny suppressed a shiver. They were storm clouds. It would start raining any time now, and they would leave, ending whatever this moment was supposed to be. And still, Vlad had said nothing about their last conversation.

“How’d you even know I was-“

“We could rule the world, you know-“

The two spoke at once, and then both stopped. Danny sat up, crossing his legs and staring down the hill at the town in the distance. “I don’t *want* to rule the world.”

“No, you just want to save it.” Vlad said, with clear distaste in the words. “Such a pity.”

The younger halfa closed his eyes as the wind ran through his hair and numbed his cheeks. His ice core made the cold a little harder to bear. When he opened his eyes again, Vlad was sitting hovering over the grass in front of him. The man’s eyes were unreadable, like this, so completely red. His brows were drawn together slightly, and his lips were set in a frown. But still, he didn’t say anything.

“Why are you staring at me?” Danny asked, finally, curling his gloved fingers into the grass. He pulled up a handful of it, held it up and let it rain down on Vlad.

The man immediately set to picking the blades out of his hair, and brushing it from his shoulders. “Very mature, Daniel.” When Danny laughed, his scowl deepened.

“What did you come here for, Vlad?”

“I just happened to fly by. I have business in Elmerton, and saw you here.”

“What kind of business?” Danny narrowed his eyes, suspicious.

Vlad smirked. “Perfectly ordinary, mayoral business. No schemes up my sleeve tonight, dear boy.”

“Good.” Danny replied, though he was doubtful of ‘mayoral business’ going on in so late. “You’ve been quiet for weeks, I was starting to think you were planning something.”

“Who says I’m not?” And with that Vlad rose up in the air, flying higher and away, toward the next town over without so much as a goodbye.

Danny watched him go, and then, as the heavy clouds covered the last of the stars, decided to make his way back home. Back in his room, Danny changed stripped down to boxers and climbed into bed without turning on the light. Vlad was so… weird. He didn’t bring up Danny’s offer at all, but he hadn’t been especially antagonistic either. Was this his answer? Was this his way of saying, without saying, that they could be friends? The brief meeting was peaceful. Vlad hadn’t shown up looking for a fight- but he was acting so *weird*. Quiet, like he’d been when Danny came to his house. Like he didn’t know what to say.

But he could give him time. After all, they had all the time in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know how it is, please! I'm pretty happy with this one. Someone mentioned in a comment on a previous post that I didn't mention Vlad's power-hungry-ness, so I made sure to add that here.


End file.
